Archives for February 2020

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

February 14, 2020 at 3:20 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 16 Comments

It’s trade season. Jason Zucker, Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford have already been dealt, but who is next to be sent packing by a rebuilding club? Which rentals will be most coveted at the deadline? Can anyone land another ticket in the Alexis Lafreniere lottery?

With those questions in mind, it’s time to run another mailbag. You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. Make sure to get your questions in early and we’ll try to get through as many of them as possible when the mailbag runs on the weekend.

If you missed our first mailbag of 2020, it was split into two parts you can read here and here. In the first, Brian answered questions about the struggling Buffalo Sabres, why the Nashville Predators went after John Hynes as head coach, and how the Detroit Red Wings might navigate the trade deadline. Part two discussed the ongoing questions surrounding the New York Rangers, the league’s biggest disappointments, and took a quick look at the 2020 draft class.

Boston Bruins Extend Jeremy Lauzon

February 14, 2020 at 1:40 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Fresh off of serving his two-game suspension, Jeremy Lauzon is getting a nice new contract. The Boston Bruins have signed Lauzon to a two-year extension that carries an average annual value of $850K. The young defenseman was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year, but will now be under contract through 2021-22.

Lauzon, 22, was originally selected 52nd overall in 2015 and is now on the precipice of becoming a full-time NHL player. Though he has only spent 23 games at that level so far in his short career the future, both in terms of performance and situation, look bright. The Bruins have three significant defenders—Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara and Kevan Miller—all scheduled for unrestricted free agency, and with it opportunity for some of the younger options.

The fact that Lauzon is now under contract for so little will only help his chances of staying in Boston. An $850K cap hit is just a little more than the league minimum, meaning they can fit him in even if they were to spend big to keep Krug around. There are plenty of options for the Bruins, but they obviously believe that Lauzon can contribute down the road.

The young defenseman could potentially be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency at the end of the deal, should he fail to play in another 57 games at the NHL level. That likely won’t be an issue, but is at least something to remember over the next two years.

Senators Notes: Borowiecki, Veronneau, Ryan

February 14, 2020 at 12:40 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Senators have been believed to be talking to some of their pending unrestricted free agents about the possibility of signing a contract extension before the February 24th trade deadline. It appears that veteran Mark Borowiecki will soon be sitting down for his talks as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports in the latest Insider Trading (video link) that discussions with the 30-year-old are expected to occur in the near future. Borowiecki has spent the entirety of his NHL career with the Sens, spanning parts of nine seasons. He’s in the midst of a career year with 18 points in 53 games while averaging 17:56 per night, nearly three minutes more than his career average. That should have him in line for a raise on his current $1.2MM price tag and while the veteran has indicated his preference to stay in Ottawa, he may have to take a little less than he could get on the open market to stay there. Unfortunately for both him and the team, he is expected to be out for a little while following an injury sustained last night, notes Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas (Twitter link) which could also impact his odds of being dealt.

Michael Hutchinson Clears Waivers

February 14, 2020 at 11:02 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Friday: Hutchinson has cleared waivers. He has been assigned to the minor leagues along with Pontus Aberg.

Thursday: With the news that Frederik Andersen is ready to return to action, the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Michael Hutchinson on waivers. Hutchinson lost his backup role with the Maple Leafs when they acquired Jack Campbell, and will now be sent to the minor leagues should he clear waivers tomorrow.

It hasn’t been an easy role for the Maple Leafs to fill since Curtis McElhinney left for greener pastures in the summer of 2018, but it appears as though Campbell has the full trust of the coaching staff and his teammates. That isn’t something that Hutchinson was ever really able to acquire, even with his history of success at every level. Before an ill-fated stop over with the Florida Panthers, Hutchinson had recorded a .910 save percentage in 102 games with the Winnipeg Jets and even better numbers in the minor leagues. This year was the epitome of inconsistency however, and he’ll leave the team with a 4-9-1 record and .886 save percentage.

It’s hard to see anyone claiming Hutchinson after he already cleared waivers in November, unless they need an injury replacement for a short period of time. If he does clear, having a goaltender with that much NHL experience sitting the minor leagues is never a bad thing, though it would certainly complicate the Toronto Marlies’ situation.

Hutchinson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. His entire cap hit will come off the books if assigned to the minor leagues.

Jay Bouwmeester Undergoes Successful Surgery

February 14, 2020 at 10:36 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 5 Comments

Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffered a cardiac incident earlier in the week in a game against Anaheim which was ultimately postponed. After undergoing some testing, the team announced that he has undergone a successful Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) procedure. The procedure is done to restore the heart’s normal rhythm.

Presently, the 36-year-old remains in Anaheim but once he is cleared to be released, he is expected to fly back to St. Louis. The team is expected to provide an update on his status at some point next week but clearly, there is no timetable for his return with the priority at the moment simply being to get healthy again.

Bouwmeester is currently on a one-year, $3.25MM contract (plus an additional $250K in bonuses, half of which have been met). With his short-term playing future certainly in question, he seems like a strong candidate to be placed on LTIR which could have St. Louis in the market for extra defensive depth between now and the February 24th trade deadline.

Wild Fire Bruce Boudreau

February 14, 2020 at 10:03 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 6 Comments

It has been a disappointing season in Minnesota with one big change already being made when Jason Zucker was traded to Pittsburgh. Another big change has come with the team announcing that head coach Bruce Boudreau has been relieved of his duties. They also announced that assistant coach Dean Evason is taking over on an interim basis.

The Wild currently sit in a tie for fifth place in the Central Division with Nashville and are three points out of the final Wild Card spot in the ultra-tight Western Conference. If they fail to make the playoffs, it’ll be the second straight year that they miss after six straight appearances from 2012-13 through 2017-18.

Boudreau was in his fourth season with the team with Minnesota playing to a 158-110-35 record under his guidance. That’s the twelfth-best points percentage in the league since 2016 when he took over. The Wild made the playoffs in the first two seasons but lost in the first round both times. The timing of the change comes after Minnesota blew a 3-1 lead against the Rangers on Thursday night but the Wild are still 6-3-1 in their last ten games.

Boudreau’s contractual situation is also worth noting. As Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic notes (Twitter link), Boudreau was in the final year of his deal as head coach with two more years left on his contract after that in a consulting role. From Guerin’s point of view, once he fully decided that Boudreau wouldn’t be kept on as coach following the season, making the move now makes sense even if it comes just ten days before the trade deadline.

Boudreau has twice been fired but hasn’t stayed on the market for long. It took just two days from him to go from Washington to Anaheim in 2011-12 and only a week to do from the Ducks to the Wild in 2016 although that move came after the season. Considering the frequency of coaching changes this season – this is number eight – it’s certainly possible that his time on the market could be short-lived once again.

As for Evason, this will be his first head coaching job at the NHL level. He’s in his second year behind the bench as an assistant with Minnesota but before that, he spent six seasons as the bench boss with AHL Milwaukee. TSN’s Darren Dreger notes (Twitter link) that the job is expected to be his for the remainder of the season with a permanent hire to come in the offseason.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report Boudreau’s firing. Michael Russo of The Athletic first reported Evason’s promotion.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Transactions: 02/14/20

February 14, 2020 at 9:47 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Valentine’s Day yields a relatively light schedule in the NHL tonight with only four games on the docket but there should still be a lot of roster movement with a busy Saturday on the horizon. We’ll keep track on those moves here.

The Blue Jackets announced that they have recalled winger Jakob Lilja from AHL Cleveland while returning center Liam Foudy to OHL London. The Knights are in action tonight and under CHL emergency recall rules, players can only be up with the NHL when their junior team isn’t action which warrants Foudy’s second return to them this week. Meanwhile, Lilja has been back and forth between the NHL and AHL in his rookie season. He has just four points in 27 games with Columbus but has been more productive with the Monsters with 13 points in 22 contests.
After having a very limited role in recent weeks, the Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have sent center Filip Chlapik to AHL Belleville. The 22-year-old has played in 30 games with Ottawa this season but has averaged just 8:37 per night in largely a fourth line role. He has been more productive in the minors with 14 points in 24 contests while spending a lot of time in Belleville’s top six.
The Lightning announced that they’ve returned winger Alexander Volkov to AHL Syracuse. The 22-year-old has gotten into nine games with Tampa Bay this season, recording one assist. The move suggests that one of their injured forwards – Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Anthony Cirelli – could be ready to return for Saturday’s game in Philadelphia.
The Avalanche have recalled winger T.J. Tynan from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, reports Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 27-year-old leads the Eagles in scoring with 40 points (4-36-40) despite spending 14 games with the Avs earlier this season.
Joey Keane’s strong start to his first professional season has earned him an NHL chance as the Rangers announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from AHL Hartford. The defenseman earned an All-Star nod and has been quite promising offensively with 28 points in 48 games with the Wolf Pack this season. This will be Keane’s first opportunity in the NHL.
The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Cody Glass and Nicolas Roy from the AHL, as Alex Tuch deals with an injury. Tuch had testing done on his leg today, but these recalls likely mean he’ll miss at least some action.
Lawrence Pilut has been sent back to the minor leagues, with the Buffalo Sabres off until Sunday evening. With Zach Bogosian on waivers, Pilut may find himself back in the NHL before long.
The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned Morgan Frost back to the AHL for the time being, as they prepare for tomorrow’s early game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning have won nine in a row, meaning the Flyers have quite the task ahead of them.

Trade Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs

February 14, 2020 at 8:43 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline now less than two weeks away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As things stand, the Maple Leafs find themselves in the top three in the Atlantic Division, a spot many figured they’d be in at this point of the year. However, the road they’ve taken to get there has been an interesting one. Mike Babcock was let go as head coach early in the season while Toronto had been battling a backup goalie crisis between the pipes until recently when they picked up Jack Campbell. While they filled an important spot with that swap, they will likely be looking to do more before the deadline strikes.

Record

30-20-8, third in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$5.834MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 49/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: TOR 2nd, TOR 4th, CAR 6th, COL 6th, TOR 6th, SJ 7th, STL 7th, WPG 7th
2021: TOR 1st*, TOR 2nd^, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, TOR 6th, TOR 7th

* – If Toronto’s first-round pick in 2020 is in the top-ten, the Maple Leafs will keep this selection and transfer their first-round choice (unprotected) in 2021 to Carolina as part of the Patrick Marleau trade.

^ – Toronto will be required to give up their second-round pick in 2021 to Los Angeles if they re-sign Kyle Clifford or Jack Campbell is credited with six regular season victories with the Maple Leafs. If one of those happens, they will get back their third-round selection from the Kings.

Trade Chips

Considering their top-paid players are almost certainly off the table plus the fact they’re down three picks in the top five rounds in the draft, Toronto’s options in terms of trade bait are a bit limited.

In terms of NHL assets, winger Kasperi Kapanen plus center Alexander Kerfoot have been speculated as potential trade chips. It’s not that the Maple Leafs are particularly displeased with them – they’re not – but with their salary scale being what it is, one of the few ways that they can free up cap space is to move one of their medium-salaried players. Kapanen in particular has come up as he hasn’t fared all that well since the coaching change and at 23 with two years left on his deal at a reasonable $3.2MM AAV, he’s someone that a lot of teams can afford. The fact that he’ll still be a restricted free agent at the end of his contract certainly helps as well. Kerfoot, 25, is signed through 2022-23 and will be an unrestricted free agent at that time. He has shown in recent weeks that he can also play on the wing which could be of interest to some teams as well. Winger Andreas Johnsson also could have been in the mix here but an injury sustained against Dallas on Thursday, one that head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated wasn’t a short-term one, likely takes him out of the equation.

One prospect to keep tabs on is Jeremy Bracco. The winger was second in the AHL in points last season but that wasn’t enough to garner him any consideration for a recall with Toronto nor has he received a chance this year. Accordingly, it was reported last month that he had asked the team to see if there was a better opportunity for him elsewhere. This is the time of year where organizations will be willing to take a look at someone like this so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him be on the move at some point. Winger Yegor Korshkov showed well in the preseason and could garner some interest as well.

Beyond that, there are some players on the fringes who could find themselves dealt. Defenseman Ben Harpur and winger Dmytro Timashov are believed to also have asked to see if there is a better chance to play elsewhere while winger Nic Petan, who has been quite productive in the minors, was made available earlier in the season. As contenders look to shore up their depth, one of them could be moved if GM Kyle Dubas feels they have enough depth as things stand.

Five Players To Watch For: F Jeremy Bracco, D Ben Harpur, F Alexander Kerfoot, W Yegor Korshkov, W Nic Petan

Team Needs

1) Top-Four Defender: This was something that they likely would have been looking for before the injuries to Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci but their departures have only made that void that much bigger. Their ability (or lack thereof) to pursue such an upgrade will ultimately lie with Reilly and Ceci’s health. If one of them is ruled out for the rest of the regular season, Dubas will be able to really dip into that LTIR reserve. If not, they’ll be basically forced to try to match money which puts the mid-tier forwards into play.

2) Penalty Killing Forward: Special teams can be critical in the playoffs and as things stand, Toronto would face off with one of Boston or Tampa Bay, teams that are well above average on the power play. Meanwhile, the penalty kill for the Maple Leafs is below the NHL average this season. Those teams are tough to shut down entirely but adding a fourth line piece that is particularly adept shorthanded could give them an important upgrade which could come in handy in one of those matchups.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Zack Kassian Offered In-Person Hearing For Kicking Incident

February 14, 2020 at 8:00 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 10 Comments

Oilers winger Zack Kassian has been offered an in-person hearing as a result of his kicking incident against Tampa Bay on Thursday night, the Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link). This means that he could potentially be suspended for six or more games.

The incident occurred late in the first period with Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak. The two fell to the ice after Edmonton winger collided with the both of them. After all three were tangled up on the ice for a few seconds, Kassian kicked Cernak as the latter was trying to get up. No penalty was called on the play. The video of the incident can be found here.

Speaking with reporters postgame including Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Kassian tried to downplay the incident:

It felt like we were there a lifetime. We were down there for a while. He was holding my leg, it was reactionary. I was just trying to get him off me, kick him off me. I was just trying to get my foot loose.

If I kicked him hard, I think he would have flew back or the ref would have called a penalty.

What will certainly work against Kassian here is that he received a two-game suspension just one month ago for instigating a fight against an unwilling combatant in Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk. To be in the crosshairs of the league once again that quickly won’t help his cause. Kassian has the right to decline to take up the offer for an in-person hearing and he has exercised that right. Instead, his hearing will be conducted by phone this afternoon but even with that happening, the league still can suspend him for more than the five games that a phone hearing allows.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report that Kassian would be offered an in-person hearing.

College Hockey Round-Up: 02/13/20

February 13, 2020 at 9:16 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

While the NCAA Tournament is obviously the culmination and highlight of the college hockey season, another timeless tournament draws nearly as much attention each year. The annual Beanpot tournament sees each of Boston’s four historic college hockey programs square off and it is always a good battle. This year was no different. Coming off back-to-back Beanpot wins, No. 12 Northeastern took down No. 18 Harvard in the first game of the tourney on Monday, February 3rd. However, the second game, which featured arguably the best rivalry in college hockey, was an overtime thriller in which Boston University overcame two two-goal deficits to beat No. 7 Boston College. BU was right back into an extra time battle in the final this past Monday, February 10. Yet another 4-4 tie went to OT, but this time the Terriers did not come out on top. Jordan Harris’ (MTL) power play goal lifted the Huskies to their third straight Beanpot title, just the eighth three-peat in the storied history of the Beanpot and the first for Northeastern.

Recent Results

While Boston College did not emerge victorious from the Beanpot this year, they do remain the front runners in the Hockey East Conference this season. Yet, even that took a hit this past weekend, as they fell to No. 11 UMass Lowell, their closest competitor in the conference. Even a blowout win against Harvard in the Beanpot consolation game wasn’t enough to redeem BC’s recent stretch, as they have fallen out of the top-five in the nation.

While it’s really a top-four spot that matters most when it comes to NCAA Tournament seeding, all the top seeds right now somewhat lack luster compared to the top team overall, No. 1 North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks received 48 of 50 first place votes in the most recent poll and are up to 21-3-3 on the year. They hold the top scoring offense in the NCAA as the only team averaging more than four goals per game, an effort fueled by Hobey Baker hopeful Jordan Kawaguchi, who is closing in on Jack Dugan of No. 14 Providence for the NCAA scoring title. Meanwhile, they are also a top-ten defensive team as well. With North Dakota rolling on all cylinders, they could be hard to beat this season.

Of the six non-wins suffered by North Dakota this year, they owe a third to No. 3 Minnesota State. The Mavericks bide their time quietly in the WCHA every season, but this year seem more likely to surprise come tournament time rather than disappoint. With a win and tie over the Fighting Hawks to their credit, Minnesota State is more battle-tested this season than in years past. Two-time reigning champs No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth have also taken points from North Dakota and have overcome some early bumps to again assert themselves as a contender, helped out by a 4-0 record over the past two weeks, including two wins over No. 6 Denver.

The ECAC’s standouts No. 2 Cornell and No. 5 Clarkson continue to motor along this season. Cornell has gone 3-1 in recent games, while Clarkson went 3-0. Cornell holds the head-to-head nod with one win earlier this season, but the two teams will square off in their regular season finale which could have a major impact on both the conference and national tournaments. Clarkson keeper Francis Marotte continues to be one of the top stories of the season, potentially even pushing Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay for the title of top goalie in the college ranks this season.

Although BC slipped in the rankings, No. 8 UMass remains a legitimate threat behind a stifling defense lead by NCAA plus/minus leader Jake McLaughlin and the goaltending duo of Filip Lindberg (MIN) and Matt Murray. UMass Lowell, Northeastern, and Providence College have all remained relatively steady and well within the national conversation, while No. 17 Maine made a major leap from unranked status following a recent winning streak.

No. 9 Penn State remains the top-seeded team out of the Big Ten in a down year for the conference. The Nittany Lions somehow stayed within the top ten despite a 1-1-2 record over the past two weekends. No. 13 Ohio State remains in the hunt, but there is a strong possibility that the Big Ten could only send one representative to the NCAA Tournament if Penn State were to win their conference tourney.

Kennette Commits To Sacred Heart

Sometimes it pays to be in a smaller conference. No. 20 Sacred Heart is having an excellent year, currently sitting with an 18-9-2 overall record and a 15-7-1 conference record. That conference? The Atlantic, generally accepted as the weakest in college hockey. However, like any conference, the Atlantic winner is guaranteed a berth in the NCAA Tournament. While Sacred Heart sits second to American International College in the conference standings, they have put up huge offensive numbers against a number of other weaker opponents to rise to No. 2 in the country in scoring. That visibility, as well as the strong chance of making the tournament despite being outside the top sixteen seeds, is an attractive opportunity.

In this case, that opportunity appealed to defenseman Brendan Kennette. Kennette proudly announced his commitment to Sacred Heart last week. Kennette, one of the top blue liners in the OJHL, was recently named to NHL Central Scouting’s list of top North American skaters and even at No. 182 he stands a decent chance of being selected in this year’s draft. It’s not every day that an Atlantic team can grab a legitimate NHL prospect, but this strong season for Sacred Heart came at the right time to land a rare gem. Kennette likely saw the chance to be one of the top players on a team that will have a real chance at an NCAA Tourney berth every year and didn’t want to pass up that opportunity. If a few other top prospects think that same way, Sacred Heart could have staying power atop the Atlantic and in the national conversation for years to come.

Stachowiak, Sato Make International Mark

It’s not often that an NCAA player turns pro mid-season and far less often that it happens in the midst of a poor season. A highly-regarded prospect may sign in the NHL or AHL after their season has ended or a struggling athlete may return to junior in-season, but rarely do those lines cross. Michigan State’s Wojciech Stachowiak decided to buck that trend. In an up-and-down season for the Spartans, it was all down for Stachowiak. The sophomore forward had just one point in only 13 games and was not playing the type of role for Michigan State that he might have expected as a former star at the junior level in Germany. And so, Stachowiak opted to return home, signing with ERC Ingolstadt of the German DEL on Tuesday. Still just 20 years old, it remains to be seen if Stachowiak will play a larger role for Ingolstadt than he did for Michigan State, but no one can blame him for accepting a pro contract when the college game was not working out for him.

New Hampshire forward Kohei Sato is overseas as well, but he will be coming back. The Japanese forward is currently in Slovenia representing his country in Olympic qualifying. Team Japan is playing in Group G with Slovenia, Lithuania and Croatia and trying to advance to the final Olympic Qualification Round this summer. While Japan has long odds of qualifying it would be quite the story ahead of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, China. Sato is quite the story already, as the first student-athlete from Japan to play Division I hockey, as well as a key contributor for the Wildcats. He has seven goals and 15 points in 26 games so far in his junior year and has improved with every campaign. Sato is only expected to miss a couple of games for UNH before he returns to action for a team pushing to qualify for the Hockey East tournament.

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